


We cut the night

by stationlittle



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-26
Updated: 2015-09-26
Packaged: 2018-04-23 13:06:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4877983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stationlittle/pseuds/stationlittle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ashley and Liara share a moment after the fall of Thessia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We cut the night

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Velynven, FJunn and DrJekyl for taking a look at this. You each made this ficlet a bit better :) 
> 
> Title comes from the song 'We Cut the Night' by AaRON.

"Hey Doc."

They had left Thessia hours ago, and what happened there was still fresh on Ashley's mind. What must it be like for Liara? Ashley didn’t have to wonder. She knew.  


In front of her, Liara was typing furiously in front of her screens, as if nothing and no one could stop her. She looked tired and sad.

"So that's you in your Shadow Broker mode," Ashley said. "That's...impressive."

Liara didn't answer. That was okay.

Ashley could be patient, and she was grateful Liara had allowed her to come inside her quarters. It wasn’t a given that she could, after all. Other people, like Garrus or Tali, had been denied access. She could only guess why. Being the Shadow Broker meant having and keeping secrets at all times, even from your best friends. Ashley didn’t envy her.

She took a look around while Glyph floated around her. That thing didn't have eyes, not really, but she still felt like she was being stared at. There was a terminal next to it. Ashley didn't even try to activate it; it was probably only available to Liara and Shepard.

On the opposite side of the room was a simple bed and a stack of papers on a bed stand. Ashley stared at it fondly, thinking about Liara doing research for an essay or a book... Knowing Liara, it was probably a book.

She considered the possibility of sitting on the bed but decided against it. She leaned against the wall next to Glyph and waited.

The strategy worked. Two minutes later, Liara spoke. Her voice was firm but her hands shook a little, no longer typing.

"When we were... on Thessia. You said I had to use my anger. I'm trying to help the refugees."  


Ashley nodded. "That's good, Liara. That's what you need to do."  


"It doesn't feel like it's enough."

"Nothing will ever feel like it's enough, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

Liara turned to her, a look of surprise and shame on her face. "Oh," she said. "I'm sorry. I forgot... I... I get so lost in my own... I'm..."  


"Yeah, that's alright," Ashley replied. "I know what that's like. After I heard the news... I just... It's a galactic war. We care about every loss, but it's harder when it's home."

"I didn't expect this to happen. I thought... It's naive, I know, but I thought Thessia would be safe."

Ashley nodded. "I never thought Earth would be attacked. It was so sudden..."  


They stared at each other.

"It's only going to get uglier, isn't it?" Liara asked.

Ashley froze. She’d asked Shepard the same question days ago. Shepard had told her that they would do what they had to do, no matter what, and his resolve had been reassuring.

She had no idea how to reassure people herself. It had never been her role. She was always questioning things and being suspicious of people, not telling them everything was going to be alright. No, that had never been her thing, but the least she could do was to try and be honest. It worked with her sisters.

"I don't know," she said. "It's possible."

Liara looked crushed, but she nodded. "I appreciate your honesty."  


"I'm sorry, really," Ashley said. "I wish none of this would have happened. Hell, sometimes I wish we could all be back on the Normandy SR-1. It was home, you know?"

This at least brought a smile to Liara's lips.

"We weren't talking much back then," she said, which was true.

"Yeah... Sorry about that," Ashley said. "To be honest, I wasn't a fan of everyone back then. It took me some time to consider you guys friends. And after what happened with Kaidan..."

"You were angry, I know," Liara replied. "It's okay Ashley. I wasn’t blaming you then. I’m not now. And… I'm glad we're friends. We are, right?"

"Yeah Doc, we're friends," Ashley replied.

They smiled at each other, followed by a moment of silence that made Ashley unsure of what to do.

"Well. I should leave now," she said. Probably best to let Liara work in peace. She moved toward the door, which was already opening, when she heard a whisper.   


"Stay."

She turned around. The door closed.

"Really?" she asked.

Liara bit her lips and looked at the empty space in front of her. "Yes. Please. I mean, if that's alright with you."  


"I've got nothing to do," she replied with a smile.

Liara raised her head. They stared at each other again. This time, tears were starting to fill Liara's eyes. Ashley moved forward.

"You know," Ashley said. "A hug tends to calm me when I'm sad... Would it be okay if I hug you?"

She waited for a reply. It came two seconds later.

"Yes," Liara told her, freely crying now. "That would be okay."

END


End file.
